Ecuador’s Most Wanted Drug Lord ‘Fito’ Extradited to U.S., Pleads Not Guilty in Federal Court
NEW YORK — One of Latin America’s most dangerous cartel leaders, Jose Adolfo Macias Villamar, better known as “Fito,” has been extradited to the United States from Ecuador and is now in custody awaiting trial on international charges of drug trafficking, conspiracy, and weapons smuggling.
Macias, who heads the Los Choneros gang, was recaptured in June 2025 after a dramatic 2024 prison escape that triggered nationwide unrest. On Sunday night, he was flown into New York State, where he appeared in federal court the next morning and entered a plea of not guilty, according to Al Jazeera.
Extradition Marks a First Under New Ecuadorian Law
The U.S. Attorney’s Office had filed formal charges against Macias in April 2025, accusing him of coordinating cocaine trafficking, firearms violations, and overseeing transnational criminal activity linked to Mexican, Colombian, and Balkan mafias.
His extradition follows a major shift in Ecuadorian policy, enacted after a national referendum led by President Daniel Noboa to allow such transfers as part of a broader crackdown on organized crime. According to Al Jazeera, Macias is the first Ecuadorian drug boss extradited under this new legal framework.
‘Fito’s’ Notorious Reign and Prison Escape
Originally a taxi driver, Macias rose through Ecuador’s underworld to become a powerful cartel leader, eventually serving a 34-year sentence for murder, drug trafficking, and leading a criminal organization. While incarcerated at La Regional prison in Guayaquil, he maintained extravagant privileges — from hosting parties to controlling gang activity from behind bars.
In January 2024, his escape from prison — allegedly aided by corrupt officials — ignited a crisis. President Noboa responded by declaring a national “internal armed conflict,” deploying the military and tanks into the streets to neutralize gang control. Human rights groups criticized the move, but Macias remained a fugitive until June 25, when he was found hiding in a bunker under floor tiles in a luxury home in Manta, as detailed by Al Jazeera.
Connections to Sinaloa, Gulf Clan, and the Global Drug Trade
The Los Choneros gang, under Macias’s command, has been tied to Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, Colombia’s Gulf Clan, and Balkan crime networks. The Ecuadorian Organized Crime Observatory considers Los Choneros a key player in international trafficking routes that move over 70% of the world’s cocaine through Ecuador’s ports, which have increasingly become hotbeds of cartel violence.
In 2024 alone, Ecuador seized a record 294 tonnes of drugs, with the majority being cocaine.
What Comes Next for Macias?
Macias now faces trial in Brooklyn federal court, where U.S. prosecutors are expected to present evidence of transnational drug operations spanning South America, Mexico, and the U.S. East Coast. If convicted, he could face multiple life sentences under U.S. law.
No official statement has yet been issued by the U.S. Department of Justice on the details of Macias’s handover, but Ecuadorian President Noboa had previously declared:
“We will gladly send him and let him answer to the North American law.”
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